3.27.2015

That's right, tomorrow, March 28th, I'm going back to the orange carpet to bring a splash of sparkle and a smattering of selfies to the slimiest of shows. Expect serious dance breaks, important questions about fandoms and eyebrows, and me not breathing regularly for approximately an entire day. I'll be documenting the whole thing LIVE for HuffPost Teen on their Instagram account (@huffpostteen) starting at 2:30pm PST/5:30 EST. Be there or be an annoying half face selfie.

3.24.2015

Pretty dresses are kind of important. Do you think Prince Charming would have been half as down to go chasing all over the place looking for some girl if she'd been wearing glass shoes and a velour track suit? NOPE. What if Mia Thermopolis had been crowned Queen of Genovia in some Levi's and "gangsta rap made me do it" crop top? NOT ACCEPTABLE. No magic can happen when you look like your rolled through an Urban Outfitters trash bin on your way out. In all fairytales, however, whether based in small European countries or "real life", a fairy godmother is around to amp up the #ootn game. That's where I come in.

I'm teaming up with the fairies at Unique Prom to give one of you lucky ducks a lil' something snazzy to hop out of your pumpkin/parents car with at prom. That's right. This pink and pretty and overall very 80's prom dream dress could belong to you. All you have to do is find your own tiara, because I sure as heck ain't handing over mine.

They are also really cute, very comfortable, and most important, make that fantastic loud clopping noise that was the soundtrack of my childhood. As a kid, I ran the streets in brightly colored Hanna Anderson clogs that were great for all adventures, finding me (thanks to the aforementioned noise) and throwing, in order to express a wide range of emotions. I didn't have any for a long time, but now thanks to Moheda Toffeln, I am BACK and ready for summer. I have just realized that these photos make it look like it's like 60 degrees or something. You know, cold. It wasn't. It was a brisk 75 in Cupertino. I just like wearing this jacket, regardless of the weather. It's got all the good stuff, because it's from the homies at Element Eden who, as we all know, are practicing the dark arts. Pockets, ties, a militant collar. The basic necessities.I would also like to thank you all for the lovely comments about my crazy week on my last post and for not jumping ship on me. You the real MVPs. Or maybe you just can't swim.*clomps around in a happy dance*x J

3.13.2015

Last week Yanna and I decided to wander downtown for sushi, selfies, and candy testing. We ended up doing all of those things as WELL as getting a shoe stuck in a railroad track, eating American Fries, and taking our rendition of "Blank Space" to the river. Literally. In the 20's they would have given us our own boat.

This week has been 500% certifiably insane. Two exams, one of which was apparently a midterm (surprise surprise), three 4-H meetings, and nOT ENOUGH BLOG POSTS. But like Prince, I always come back. Usually wrapped in sequins.

So
this post is not a runway review. It is simply a note of appreciation
for the solid but genius consistency that is Milan Fashion Week, no
matter the season, the trends, or what a random teenager on the internet has decided is ~style~.

Ah, Milan. If there ever was a motherland of fashion, you are it. Valentino, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Pucci, GUCCI. All the names the rappers love. In New York, people will be wearing airplanes as shoes, but D & G will put out see through over dresses with roses, Valentino will be making red dresses, Moschino will be weird but appealing, and everyone will go to Versace just to see Donatella. Everything will seem vaguely exactly like what the designer put out last season, but it will be so beautiful and well done that no one will care. Beautiful Italians will mill about being Italian, and wild parties will happen, but with very little photographic evidence the next day. Then everyone will pull themselves out of bread, eat some carbs, pull their hair into a chic knot, and head out to Paris.

2.27.2015

img via tumblrI first met Greer Grammer at the 2014 Kids Choice Awards, where we had a conversation centered less around the hit TV show she's starred on since 2011 (you know, that little deal called Awkward) and more around Disney princesses. She was immediately cemented as one of my favorites, and after running into her a few times around town, it was time to bring her to the blog.

Justina : So we're not going to spend a lot of time talking about Awkward, but I feel like there should be at least one question, so how would you sum up Lissa in, say, five words?Greer : Oh my goodness. Right into the hard questions, huh?Indeed.

Okay. Bubbly, naive, sweet-minded, religious, cheerleader.There ya go! Now lets talk about the BIG thing that just happened to you: You were Miss Golden Globe! I was following along on your instagram, it looked like it involved a lot of early mornings!Yes, a LOT of early mornings, I got to be part of the nominations announcement, which was so exciting. The fact that it goes live for East Coast time means we had to start at, you know, five in the morning here.ughh.Yeah, so in order to be hair and makeup ready, I had to be up at 3:30 in the morning. I have a hard time sleeping, so I usually got to bed around 2, so waking up around 3:30 was not great for me. That same day, we finished around nine, and I came home, slept for about an hour and a half, then head over to Melissa and Joey, because I was working there, and live shoot my episode. I was running on like two hours of sleep. It was so much fun though. I got to do that, I got to do the red carpet roll out at 7 in the morning. It was really exciting though, being the first person to walk on the red carpet. I just wanted to really enjoy everything that came with it. This year the Golden Globes were hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler for the ~last~ time - do you have a favorite movie or show of theirs?Well it's funny, because Parks and Rec is actually paused on my television right now. Yeah, Parks and Rec, and I LOVE 30 Rock. I had watched all of 30 Rock on Netflix, and then started right in on Parks and Rec. It's SUCH a good show. Also currently, my friends and I are all obsessed with Baby Mama. it's hilarious. Oh god it definitely is. Do you have any funny backstage moments from the show? Even though you were on stage for most of it.Oh my gosh there are so many. Well, Matthew McConnaughey kissed me on the cheek when we were back stage. Oprah told me I was beautiful. I got to meet Meryl Streep, and she was so lovely. I probably would have been reduced to jelly if Oprah even looked at me, so...Oh I wasn't expecting it at all. She was brought backstage, to present for Selma, by the official stage manager, who happens to be a dear friend of mine. All of a sudden it was "Oh, Oprah, this is Miss Golden Globes", and she says "You are so beautiful, you are beautiful in all ways, you are beautiful front-ways, sideways, down ways, just all ways." and all I could say was "oh thank you".

Talking to Oprah is a bit like being blessed, isn't it?

Yeah, I will never have any self doubting moments ever again.

You did do a fantastic job. You didn't trip, which is *obviously* the main goal.Yes! We actually shortened the dress just a little to make sure it was super-walkable.Somewhere in the depths of the internet, I read that you really enjoy Mad Men, which is very different than Awkward. Is that the sort of acting you'd like to move into? That's hard to say. I do like Mad Men, and I've gone on a lot of castings where I've been told I have the look to do historical dramas like that, so it's certainly something I'd be interested in, but I also love shows like Friends, or Melissa and Joey. I really enjoy the live audiences. I'd also love to do something like Scandal. I mean, Scandal is great. I think you should just all of them. Everything. All of the everything.

I think so too.

Following that - if you could slip in as a main character on any show, where would you go?Once Upon a Time.You want to be a princess?

I want to be a princess. I really wanted to be Anna when they were casting it, but that didn't happen. The first season was so amazing, and everything really well done and thought out all the way.

Did they have a Rapunzel on Once upon a Time?

They did! They did one episode on Rapunzel.

I remember the very first time we talked, at the Kids Choice Awards, you were telling me about how much you enjoy Tangled! I will probably never forget that conversation for as long as I live. I figured everyone else was going to ask you about your dress and your latest role, etc, so we could just talk about Disney Movies, and you were the only one who said Tangled. I think it was just because at the time, everyone else was still stuck on Frozen.Listen, I loved Frozen. Frozen was great, and I watched it several, several, several times, not denying it, but I liked Tangled better. It's more fun to me. It's quite rollicking. Frozen is just sort of like this eternal hunt. They're always looking for stuff. Exactly.I wanted to talk to you about graduating from USC, because that was a pretty impressive feat. You were at school, in a sorority, and filming Awkward.I was raised in a family where that was just always what was expected. We never talked about taking a year off or dropping out to work(even thought that would have made it easier). I wanted to graduate with my friends, and be a part of everything, and it was just such an amazing experience. I learned so much, besides the school-school stuff.

And you pulled it off! Yay!

Hahaha yes!

Lightning round:

Did you have a New Years Resolution?

You know, my new years resolution almost every year is to just be proactive and present, and work out every day (which I can already tell you is not happening). Just really enjoy moments, and not get too caught up or rushed.What is the best career or life advice anyone has ever given you?It kind of goes hand in hand with what I said - My dad always tells me that as long as I enjoy acting to keep doing it, but if I ever don't, that there's no point in continuing. I think that goes for everything. If there's something you're passionate about, do it, but if that passion isn't there, find something else to do.Last question: what is something you have always wanted to answer, but no one has ever asked?Oh my goodness. The only one I can think of right now is Disney ones! I guess...*line disconnects*I said something! But it disconnected right as I said it. You've actually asked me this, but "What is your favorite Disney movie and why?".I like to ask people that, because it tells you a lot about them, but I'd like to be asked more often.

I'm in the clear then.

You can follow Greers adventures/talk to her about disney movies on twitter + instagram! (@greer_grammer) x J

2.23.2015

This years Oscars were both the weirdest and best award show of the season yet. Buzzfeed favorited + retweeted me twice, which should tell you everything you need to know. But now, our favorite part : the real talk thoughts. This version is not only extended, but if you click the number, you'll find a corresponding live-tweet. Snaz-zay As always, in a no-particular-order particular order. 1. Yo, Neil Patrick Harris, I'm really excited for you, and imma let you start, but Ellen had the best Oscars of all time. *kanye shrug*

2. I didn't watch the red carpet but I already know Emma Stone's dress is the best.

13. Meryl Streep will outlive us all.14. Common + John Legend = best speech/suits/performance of emotionally charged content. (I know I wasn't the only person out here who had no idea who "Lonnie Lynn" was.)

15. I forgot Gaga could sing, and it took the Sound of Music to bring me back.

16. Julie Andrews can be the Queen of any country I live in whenever she'd like.17. Graham Moore is the smoothest man out here and managed to bring the realest moment of the night in less than a minute.

2.15.2015

I'll admit it: I wasn't feeling the matchy-matchy set thing when everyone else was. I just couldn't see myself running around in a "structured" crop top and skirt. The pants ones were even worse, with some abstract top deal and then ADULT WOMAN pants. You know what I'm talking about. But of course, because they're magic fairies who possibly dabble in whatever black magic they need to always churn out such good stuff, the girls at Element Eden have gotten me hooked with this fun deal from their collaboration with Wildflower. This button down vaguely reminiscent of my Iowa plaid, but a little more fun and guuurly. True to their skater roots, it's also made out of a nice thick material, so if you fall off a skate board (or, more likely if you're me, thin air) your limbs are safe from scratches, or worse, tears. The pants are cut in a sort of tapered jogger, and I was honestly at such a loss as to how to dress them, because I am weird about ankles, but they just sort of...worked. They're also made of a nice soft cozy material that doesn't cling to you like it's related to plastic wrap. All day I felt alternately like I was cheating, because hello, these are socially acceptable nearly-pyjamas, and like I was the most sophisticated person alive. My clothes match more than your clothes na na na na na na.

This outfit was definitely a step outside of the box for me, which is strange, because it seems so simple. My immediate instinct when I saw the shirt was to grab my levis and my cowboy boots and go... well, as full country as I can. (Closer to half than full) But now that I've worn it, it's beginning to grow on me. Don't expect to see my belly button any time soon though, I've outwaited Taylor Swift.

2.13.2015

Happy 6th Birthday! You're growing right up. I wanted to write you an open letter and say thank you. Thank you for being the only one who can slightly restrain my mass of curls. Thank you for not making dents, dings, or crimps. Thank you for keeping my buns round and my ponytails tailing. Thank you for surviving the assaults of hairspray, conditioner, and the occasional stray bobby pin. Thanks for understanding that my hair should be on my head and not wrapped around you when I take you out. Thanks for not snapping in the middle of a presentation, flying across the room, and snapping someone in the forehead. That was pretty legit of you. You're my most functional and necessary accessory, and you're the product of two serious girl bosses. Overall, you're the real MVP.

2.09.2015

Let's talk about living in the moment. Fantastic concept. How often do we not do it when we could? You know you've had one of those days where you looked at the skirt you actually wanted to wear and thought "Nah, pants are normal. Normal people wear pants". Or you've gone out and heard your favorite song play over the sound system and started singing along, only to catch a totally random glance from a stranger and immediately feel like you've just been chanting to some ~dark force~. And remember that time you just wanted to go to the movies with your friends, but everyone was bricked up for the next six months with practices and work and school and meetings and audiences with the Queen of England? It's no fun, and you usually regret it six days later when you realize "Actually, everyone would have been super impressed with me nailing every verse of "Rap God"."

I know it's just wiiildly unbelievable, but this happens to me every single day. I forget that right now is the time to do stuff, not next Tuesday at 3. I don't wear outfits I like, not because I'm worried about practicality (Mum), but because I think "oh there will be another time to wear it, I'm just going to school." Well, the buck stops here. (I've always wanted to say that.) It's time to seize the day, seize the moment, seize the now. Buy the sunglasses, dance to the song, laugh at the joke that no one
else got. Goon the road trip, wear that eyeshadow, just
generally do your thang. Wear the shoes, even if everyone says they look like they escaped from the LEGO movie.

I wore this outfit to go outside (*gasp*) and inflict my extraordinarily awkward dancing upon the innocent public for Adidas NEO's #NOWISEVERYTHING campaign. It is, of course, extremely graceful and well choreographed and not at all reminiscent of a baby giraffe, but I think I'll spare you all the same. It was also, strangely, extremely freeing. Once you get over the fact that you are dancing, in public, by yourself, to music no on else can hear, you notice that

Legalish bits.

If you steal something off my blog, well, lets just put it like this: I will track you down and force you to clear a path to the back of my closet. No one will ever see you again.

I mean it.

All the photos on this blog, unless taken by me, are linked to the site I found them on. If I used your picture, and you want me to take it down, just tell me.

If you have anymore questions, email me : abentpieceofwire@gmail.com

Things You Should Know

*If something has been gifted to me by a brand, or magically teleported into my closet of it's own accord, I will point it out by the usage of "c/o" or "courtesy of.

* I made a promise to never tell you I love something on this blog that I haven't held in my hand and obsessed myself, and I won't. There is, however, a difference between a collaboration and sponsors. Sponsors are advertisers who pay me to have their link up on the side. See the next little fly asterisk-y wotsit for more on that. A collaboration is when I work with a brand, and maybe they send me a piece or two, that I wear in an outfit post. See the next asterisk about that too. Clear up?

*I scour the websites of any brands I work with to make sure I'm cool with you, my beloved reader, possibly wandering their pages. This is very important to me, and if you come across something you think I may have missed + probably isn't something I'd love, email me at abentpieceofwire@gmail.com and let me know.